William h



(N0 MM.) Y

" W. H. KIRNAN.

' POLICE SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No.'537,161. v Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. KTRNAN, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAME WELL FIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

POLICE-SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,161, dated April 9, 1895.

Application filed December 28, 1892. Serial-No. 456,557. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern: sufficient in number to produce this result,

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. KIRNAN, a then the circuit-controller is tripped and recitizen of the United States, residing at Baturns to its initialposition withoutclosing the. yonue, county of Hudson, and State of New bell circuit. 55 Jersey, have invented a certain new and use- Asaspecific illustration, if the signal-boxes f ul Improvement in Police-Signaling Apparaare arranged to send in one or more of six dots tus, (Oase F,) of which the following is a specior dashes constituting special service signals, fication. followed by other dots or dashes representing The object I have in view is to provide the box number, and if it is desired that the 60 [0 means for the ringing of the emergency bell emergency bell shall remain silentif onlythree in police signaling apparatus, which will be special signal impulses are transmitted, and reliable in operation and will not be dependshall ring if four, five or six special signal iment for its working upon changes in the-charpulses are transmitted, then the bell circuitacter of the current'impulses transmittethi. a, controller will be arranged to close the bell cir- 65 changes in current strength, current polarcuit when such circuit-controller has been adity, or time duration of signal impulses, nor vanced four steps. The cam which opens the require the employment of a separate bell cirlocal circuit in which the magnet operating cnit. the circuit controller is located, acts to open In carrying out my invention, I provide at such local circuit only while the impulses rep- 70 the receiving station-a bell circuit-controller, resenting the box number are being received. which works bya step-by-step movement and Such box number impulses are, therefore, must be advanced a certain number of steps incapable of acting on the bell circuit-conbefore it operates to close the bell circuit controller, and the magnet working that circuittrolled by it. This circuit-controller is opercontroller responds only to the impulses form- 75 ated by an electromagnet through a pawl and" iii}; the special-service signals. If only one, ratchet,whichelectro-magnet is controlled by two or three of such special signal impulses the main line relay and advances the circuitare sent over the line, the circuit-controller controller one step each time the armature of will not be advanced far enough to close the the main line relay falls back and closes the 10- bell circuit, but it four or more of such s'pe- 80 0 cal circuit through it. A train of wheels is cial signal impulses are transmitted, the bell started by the first movementof this circuitcircuit-controller will close the bell circuit on controller and carries a cam, which, after a certhe fourth impulse, and the bell will then ring tain extentof movement of thetrain, opens the continuously until stopped. Thus it will be local circuit through the magnet whichoperseen that the operation of the emergency bell 85 3 5 ates the bell circuit-controller, making such is made dependent upon the transmission of magnet unresponsive to subsequent movemore than a certain number of special signal ments of the relayarmature, which relation of impulses, and is independent of the character the partsis maintained until the completion of of the impulses, since any impulse, whether a the signal. The continued movement of the dot or a dash, which will work the main line o 40 train trips a pawl, holding the circuit-conrelay, will also work the local circuit in which troller in its advanced position, and allows the bell circuit-controller magnet is located. such circuit-controller to be drawn'ba'ck by a Thedetails of this and'other features of the spring to its normal or initial position. If, apparatus are illustrated by the accompanybefore the cammoved by the train of wheels ing drawing, which shows, partly in diagram, 9 opens the circuit of the magnet which'works an arrangement of apparatus and circuits emthe circuit-controller,a sufiieient number of bodying the invention. breaks have been made in the main circpit The signal-box, in connection with which to cause this magnet to advance the circuitthe invention is illustrated, is provided with controller far enough to close the bell circuit, two circuit-breaking disks A, B, revolved tomo then the bell will be sounded; but ifthe imgether by a spring-operated train as usual,

pulses received during this interval are not and making one complete revolution each time the box is operated. The circuit wheel A is provided with notches a, which produce the box number, in this case No. 23. The wheel A also has a notch I), which, together with five other notches 1), b b b upon the wheel B, produce the special service signals. A circuit-breaking spring A bears upon the wheel A, and a similar spring B bears upon the wheel B. These springs are connected with Wires 4, 5, forming opposite sides of the main circuit. The spring B and wheel B are shunted by wires 6, 7, extending to springs c, c, which are normally in contact with each other and carry the current around the notches on the wheel B, so that such notches are ineffective unless the springs c, c are separated.

O is the special service pointer, which carries a cam C engaging with the extended end of the spring 0 when the pointer is turned and separating the springs, opening the shunt 6, 7, and permitting the notches 011 the wheel B to act upon the circuit. A sector (1,011 the same shaft which carries the wheels A, l3, engages with a sector (1 on the shaft of the pointer C, and turns that pointer back to the position shown in the drawing from any position to which the pointer may be set.

As shown, the box is adapted to send in any one of six special service signals, together with the number of the box. In the position of the pointer shown, if the box is pulled, the shunt (5, 7 remains closed and the spring A alone is operative. The effect will be to send in the one special signal impulse from the notch I) on the wheel A, and the box number from the notches (t on the wheel A. If before pulling, the box, the pointer C is adjusted to the second report call, the cam C will open the shunt 6, 7, making the spring B operafive. The efiect of pulling the box then will be to send in special signal impulses from the notches b and b, when the sector d willstrike the sector (1 and turn the pointer back to its initial position, closing the shunt 6, 7, before the spring 13 reaches the notch N. If the pointer is turned to the third report call, the notch will be brought into operation before the shunt is again closed. For the fourth call, which is the telephone call, notches I), 1), b 71 will be brought into action. For the fifth, or ambulance call, the notch 11" will be added to the preceding notches, While for the sixth or wagon call, all the notches will be brought into action.

\"Vith apparatus of this character, it is desirable that an emergency bell should ring at the receiving station with the telephone, ambulance and wagon calls, but not with the report calls. The main circuit 4, 5 extends through the battery M B and the main line relay D, and forms a normally closed circuit. The relay armature D has two back points, at one of which it closes the local register circuit 8, 9 through the local battery Z Z) and the register magnet E. At its other back contact point it closes the local circuit 10, 11,

through the local battery Z 7) and the bellcircuit-controlling magnet F. The armature e of the magnet F carries at its upper end a pawlf, which engages with the ratchet teeth on the under side of a sliding bar G, which is forced in one direction by the pawlfand retracted by the spiral spring g.

A spring-locking pawl 7L engages with teeth on the upper side of the bar G and locks it in each position of advancement, preventing it from being retracted until the pawl 7t is tripped. Bearing on the upper side of the bar G is the extended end of a spring {which is thereby held out of contact with a second spring 71, but when the bar Gr has advanced far enough to release the extended end of the spring '6 the springs 1', t" will come together and close a circuit 12, 13, through a local battery Z I) and the magnet II. The armature lever 75 of the magnet II controls at its front contact point a local circuit 14, 15, through a vibrating hell I, the battery Z I) being shown as used to supply both the local circuits 12,13 and 14,15. When the armature lever It" is drawn forward by the magnet ll,a spring dog drops back of it and holdsit in its forward position, keeping the bell circuit closed until the dog 7c is moved to release the lever 7c, which may be done by means of a suitable handle 7t attached directly to the dog 70' or connected with it by a cord, as shown. The magnet I1 thus forms a relay for the vibrating hell, but instead of using that magnet to release a drop which closes the bell circuit and keeps it ringing until the drop is reset, I prefer to use the device described, as a matter of detail, since the device for re-setting it is so simple in construction and so readily operated. The bar G, as shown, is provided with four teeth on each side, and it requires four current impulses to advance that barthe full extent of its movement and permit the springs t', t", to close together. K is a spring or weight operated train of wheels, which is held from running by an arm Zfrom the pawl 71, the end of such arm having a tooth engaging a pin on one of the wheels of the train. The train is released when the pawl it drops into the first notch of the bar G, this movement throwing the tooth on the arm Z out of engagement with the pin on the train. The shaft m of this train is designed to make one revolution each time the train is started. This shaft carries a cam n which acts upon the extended end of a spring a, which is normally in contact with auotherspringn such springs it, a forming a part of the local circuit IO, 11, including the circuitcontrolling magnet F, and acting, when separated, to break the circuit through such magnet. The shaft on is also provided with an arm n, which in the revolution of that shaft strikes the extended end 0 of the pawl h, tripping such pawl and thereby releasing the bar G and permitting it to be retracted by the spring 1. The shaft m is also provided with a threepointed camp engaging with the extended end ICC , of the sprin g p which plays between two other springs 19 p maintaining its contact with spring 10 until it touches the spring 19 and vice versa. 7

The springs 10, 10 19 form in connection with the three-pointed cam 10, a device for operating the answer-back bell L, which is 10- cated-in the box, and to accomplish this without affecting the main line relay or starting any of the mechanism controlled by such relay, the main line circuit wire 5 passes to the central spring p, while the main line circuit wire 4 passes to the uppermost spring p with which the spring p is normally in contact, thus normally closing the main line circuitthroughtherelay. Thelowermostspring p is connected by a wire 16 with, a switch N, adapted to be swung upon either of two contacts r, r. The contact r is connected with a wire 17 running to the outer side of the main line battery, while the contact 1" is connected with the wire 4. If-the switch N is moved onto the point 'r,,the movement of the spring 19 by the cam 19 will not produce any effect, since both the springs 19 and 10 will then be connected with the wire 4, and the movement of the springp, which is connected with the other main circuit wire 5, will be ineffective, since it will close themain line circuit first on one spring and then on the other, keeping it closed on each spring until it touches the other. If, however, the switch'N is thrown onto the contact point r, the down.-

.ward movement of the springp will serve to connect the main line wire 5 with the wires 16 and 17 and to open the circuit through the main line wire 4. This will result in closing a local circuit through the main battery and .main line relay, which will extend from the inner side of the main battery through the re- .lay, through wire'5, spring p, spring 19 wire 16, switch N, and wire 17, backto the outer side of the main line battery. At the same time, the main line circuit will be opened, allowing the bell L to fall back and make one tap, and this will be accomplished without disturbing the main line relay, whichwill be kept closed through the local circuit just described. Since the cam 19 has three points, the effect will be to strike the bell L three times, thus notifying the person at the box that the signal has been received. The shaft m is also provided with a finger g, which strikes the extended end of the spring q, closingit upon the spring The springs g, g control the circuit to the timestam p, which circuit is not shown, because it constitutes no part of the present invention.

It will be understood that the parts n, 0, p

and q are mounted upon the shaft mat different points in its length, and the four devices upon which these parts act are also similarly located, so that there is no engagement of these parts except with the devices they are intended to affect.

The operation of the emergency bell will be understood from the foregoing description.

such train.

In brief, it is as follows:-If the box is pulled with the pointer in the position shown, the first impulse, t'. 6., thattfrom the notch b, will cause the main line relay to fall back, closing not only the register circuit but also the circuit 10, 11 to the bell-controlling magnet F. This magnet will attract its armature, which through the pawl f will engage the first tooth of the bar G and move such bar forward one step, causing the pawl h to drop into the first notch on the upper side of the bar, holding such bar from retraction and releasing the train K.. This train will begin to revolve, and before the spring A at'the signal-box has reached the first notch a, the cam n will strike the spring at and open the local circuit 10, 11. This cam will remain in contact with the spring 'n' and keep the circuit 10, 11 open until all the box number notches a have passed beneath the spring A, when the arm 0 will strike the beveled end 0' of the pawl h, tripping such pawl and releasingthe bar G, which bar will be retracted by the spring g to the position shown in the drawing, bringing the tooth on the end of thearm Z into the path of movement of the piuon the train and stopping During the revolution of the shaft m, the time-stamp contact springs g, will be closed by the finger q, and the answerback springs 19', 10 19 will be acted on by the three-pointed cam p. This signal from the box will, therefore, be received and be recorded upon the register, and will set inoperation the time-stamp and the answer-back springs, but will not move the circuit-controlling bar G a sufficient number of steps to close thecircuit to the bell, and hence the bell will not be sounded. The same operation will take place when the box is pulled with the pointer adjusted to either the second or the third report signal, except that the bar G will be moved two notches in one case and.three 'the bar G four steps, permitting the extended end of the spring 1' to drop 0% of the end of the bar G and to close the circuit to the magnet H at the springs 2', 2', when the armature It will be attracted and locked in its forward position by the dog is, closing the circuit to the vibrating bell I, which will continue to ring until the armature k is released by pull ing upon the handle k The magnet F responds to all of the special signal impulses, but its circuit is opened before the box number impulses are transmitted, as before explained, by the cam 72, and after the signal impulses have been received and the bell has been set in motion, the pawl it will be tripped by the arm 0 and the circuit-controlling bar G will be returned to its initial position, opening the circuit to the magnet II, but this will not affect the circuit to the bell I, which will be maintained closed by the dog it. The same operation will take place with the fifth and sixth signals, except that a different record will be made upon the register tape.

Since the cam n and the springs 11', n form aeircuit-controller, which prevents the operation of the magnet F during the receipt of the box number impulses and permits its operation during the receipt of the special signal impulses, it is evident that by the adjustment of the cam n on the shaft m, that cam could be made to render ineffective the box number impulses at whatever point in the operation of the transmitting box the box number impulses are brought into action. As, for instance, if the box number preceded the special signal impulses, instead of following them, the, cam 72 would be adjusted so as to normally separate the springs 7%, n and keep the circuit 10, 11 open until the box number impulses had been received, when the cam 12 would leave the spring 72' and close the circuit to the magnet F, making such magnet responsive to the following special signal impulses.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a police signaling apparatus, the combination with a signal-box, transmitting box number impulses and two or more special service impulses, of a circuit-controller at the central station, having a step-by-step movement and acting to close a bell circuit after making a definite number of such movements, and a device also located at the receiving station for rendering such circuitcontroller unresponsive to the box number impulses, whereby a bell will be rung only upon the reception of a definite number of special signal impulses, substantially as set forth.

2. In a police signalingapparatus, the combination with a signal-box adapted to transmit the box number and also to transmit two or more special signal impulses, of a circuitcontroller at the receiving station operated by a magnet and having a step-by-step movement, a bell whose circuit is closed only after said circuit-controller has been advanced two or more steps, and another circuit-controller operated by a train and acting to render inoperative the said magnet during the reception of the box number impulses, substantially as set forth.

3. In a police signaling apparatus, the combination with a signal-box adapted to transmit the box number and also two or more special signal impulses, of a magnet at the receiving station, working a circuit-controller having a step-by-step movement,a bell whose circuit is closed after such circuit-controller has advanced two or more steps, and a circuit-controller operated by a train which is released by said magnet and which acts to open the circuit to said magnet during the reception of the box signal impulses,substantially as set forth.

4. In a police signaling apparatus, the 00111- bination with a transmitting box adapted to transmit the box number and one or more special signal impulses, of a magnet at the receiving station, a circuit-controller having a step-by-step movement, operated by said magnet, an alarm bell whose circuit is closed after such circuit-controller has advanced a definite number of steps, a train released by said magnet, a circuit-controller operated by said train and opening the circuit of said magnet during the reception of the box signal impulses, and an arm on said train whose movement trips the step-by-step circuit-eontroller and allows it to resume its initial po sition, substantially as set forth.

5. In a police signaling apparatus, the combination with the magnet Fand its armature carrying the pawlfiof the sliding bar G having two sets of teeth, the springs 71,2" controlling the bell circuit, the spring pawl 71, arm Z, train K, and tripping arm 0, substantially as set forth,

6. In a police signaling apparatus, the combination with an alarm bell at the receiving station, of a relay controlling the circuit of such bell, a spring dog which drops back of the armature of said relay and holds the bell circuit closed, and a hand pull for withdrawing the spring-dog, substantially as set forth.

7. In a police signaling apparatus,the combination with a signal box having an answerback bell and the main circuit extending from such box to the receiving station, of a motortrain at the receiving station, a magnet in the main circuit controlling said train and releasing the same when affected bya signal upon the main circuit, circuit contacts moved by the train, and an alarm-bell circuit, an answer-back circuit, and a timestamp circuit controlled by said contacts and acted upon successively, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 20th day of December, 1892.

WILLIAM II. KIRNAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. CRONK, W. PELZER. 

